The present invention generally relates to a fuel system and more particularly, to a vehicular fuel system which is adapted to receive, store, and selectively transport vaporific fuel to an engine and which includes an air intake inhibitor and a self-regulating recirculation system for vapor recovery.
Vehicular fuel systems or assemblies are adapted to selectively receive, store and deliver fuel for use within and/or by an engine (i.e., an internal combustion type engine), effective to allow a vehicle to be desirably operated and driven.
Conventionally, these assemblies include a tank into which volatile or vaporific fuel is selectively placed and stored and several devices and/or components (i.e., a treatment canister) which are communicatively coupled to the tank and which allow fuel and vapors to be selectively transferred from the tank to other portions of the vehicles (e.g., to the engine). For example and without limitation, these devices and/or components cooperatively allow air and fuel vapors to be selectively purged from the tank, treated, and controllably released into the ambient environment or atmosphere, effective to selectively and desirably reduce pressure within the tank, and to allow the air dissolved within currently received fuel to be released or recirculated.
While these prior or conventional fuel assemblies do desirably receive and store fuel, they suffer from some drawbacks. For example, these prior fuel systems undesirably allow a relatively large amount of air to be ingested into the fuel tank, thereby increasing the pressure within the tank and requiring a large amount of air and vapor to be removed from the tank. During the required removal of this air and/or fuel vapor, some of the fuel vapors may undesirably escape from the externally deployed and previously delineated devices and components, thereby being released into the atmosphere. Moreover, the recirculation of air and vapors within these prior tanks typically occurs at a relatively constant rate, and therefore cannot be appropriately regulated based upon specific circumstances which may require more or less recirculation.
The present invention provides a fuel system which addresses these drawbacks, which substantially reduces or minimizes the undesirable ingestion of air into the tank, and which provides for the self-regulating recirculation of air and vapors within the system.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a fuel system which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior fuel systems.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a fuel system which includes a dynamic seal which substantially reduces and/or minimizes the amount of air ingested by a fuel tank.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a fuel system which includes a self-regulating vapor recirculation system.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a fuel system is provided. The fuel system includes a fuel tank; a fuel filler pipe which is communicatively coupled to the fuel tank and which has a widened portion; and a dynamic seal which is operatively disposed within the widened portion of the fuel filler pipe and which is adapted to selectively engage an inner surface of the widened portion, effective to allow fuel to pass through the fuel filler pipe, while substantially preventing air and vapor from passing through the fuel filler pipe and into the fuel tank.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a fuel system is provided. The fuel system includes a filler tube which selectively receives fuel from a fuel dispensing nozzle; a recirculation tube which is communicatively coupled to the filler tube; and a first tank portion which is communicatively coupled to and selectively receives fuel from the filler tube. The first tank portion includes an aperture which communicates with the recirculation tube, an amount of fuel, and a buoyant member which floats upon the fuel and which includes a tapered valve which is selectively disposed within the aperture, the tapered valve being effective to controllably vary an area within the aperture through which vapors may pass into the recirculation tube, thereby automatically regulating vapor recirculation within the fuel system based upon the amount of fuel and vapor within the first tank portion.
These and other aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.